


This is The Time

by The_Magic_Lava_Lamp



Category: Dark Tower - Stephen King
Genre: Fluff and Angst, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Inspired by Stephen King, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:36:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27130537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp/pseuds/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp
Summary: The dead silence lasted for about another twenty minutes. Roland was an absolute master at refusing to give in first. He’d sit and wait for hours which was arguably a terrible trait. But sometimes---‘No just bad.’ He thought. To pass that time, he found himself staring at a tiny family of frogs resting by the water. Wet and a shiny green color, they glimmered. Their black eyes stared back up at him...
Relationships: Cuthbert Allgood/Roland Deschain
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	This is The Time

He is falling...

Roland’s heavy black boot caught the tip of an up facing rock nestled nicely in the field of wood. There was a cool breeze which came with one’s body launching forward, it was a juvenile way of falling Roland wasn’t used to anymore. Arms flailing about without grace while his hands flicked forward to brace himself and ruin his skin. Though, the right hand managed to slot itself comfortably into the blood-sticky palm belonging to good ol’ Cuthbert Allgood. 

“Stand tall, Roland.” He chuckled, pulling him back to safety. 

Young Deschain hiked himself back up but found it almost intoxicating that he could remain palm-to-palm with the Allgood boy. “Keep me balanced then.” He gripped his friend a little tighter before habitually holding on a bit too loosely. 

He could feel the grotesquely open skin-scratch on Cuthbert’s left hand, the reason for the squelching puddle of blood between them. Those soft sucking sounds accompanied them throughout most of their walk to the deepest part of the wooded area just a short drive from their town. 

Cuthbert squished the blood-puddle even more to squeeze Roland’s hand back to a tight position. Both boys had the rough skin of their fathers, hard work rewarded them with such a gift, but they were soft for each other. 

“I brought the hammock.” 

Roland looked to Cuthbert with gentle amusement. “We could’ve just roughed it.” He winked but he was almost sure it did not work on him. There was no way he pulled it off. Which rang true when Cuthbert began to heave in laughter. That boy was a sight for sore eyes and he never shied away from laughing his ass off.

The woods around them grew taller and more luscious with every twenty steps or so. The earth-y smell overcame them long ago but now the distant...wet scent of water traveled closer. Cuthbert was taking the lead on this little trip because Roland barely had half-the-mind he usually owned. 

For Mr. Deschain had plenty to say about the courtship of his son and the laughing boy. None of this speech was warm or fuzzy. Rather as tough as the skin which wrapped around his palms. Roland wanted-ached-to rip the speech apart to it’s bare bones. He’d begun to do just that. But Cuthbert, smart as a whip, dragged him out of the house...to the woods before events he’d regret later could transpire.

Together since they were young pups and together now, Roland and Cuthbert journeyed to a small cliff above the water. It was a place they came to often enough to miss when absent. Their legs always aching to walk and make some sort of journey whenever life just got too disappointing.

The Allgood boy set aside the red hammock for later and plopped down onto the dirt, waiting to be joined by his best friend in already dirty jeans. Splotches of older memories littered the fading blue fabric. It was a good luck. Common for most of the boys in town. 

“You got your reasons to go against him, Roland.” Cuthbert drew his first card in the game of tough conversation. He kept his face locked onto the ripples in the water which Roland found interesting. “They’re true and worth standing by. Don’t let your dad make them seem shitty.” He finally turned with that lovely little smirk on his face. 

“You being the most important reason.” He tipped his chin. “If I was born without the ability to love you, my life would be bleak.” Roland smiled softly. He noticed the way Cuthbert looked away when his cheeks burned crimson. “But I could love him not and still have a full life, I think.” He mumbled, kicking at his boots. 

Cuthbert looked off as if he knew Roland wasn’t being entirely realistic. He didn’t seem all that confident in his next move which was to wipe his blood covered hand down the leg of his jeans and gently grip Roland’s thigh. “If you love me so much...” He shuffled closer and enjoyed the way Roland hung on his words like he never did with anyone else. “Feel me up, Buttercup.” He winked because he could pull that off. 

Roland smirked, laying his hot-hand atop Cuthbert’s. He leaned in just close enough for their lips to drag against each other. “I crave nothing more.” Those words basically shot down Cuthbert’s throat with how close they were. 

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“Don’t mistake this lump for me being ready for round two, Roland. I think I just have a stick in my pants.” Cuthbert wined, shaking out his leg momentarily as Roland tied up the right end of the hammock to a tree. The air was still quiet and no company had yet to cross their path. 

Roland let out a hum of reserved laughter. He found the space in his mind for moments spent being shocked at their own intimate relationship was not bare yet. He may never hit the capacity considering who he was. 

Cuthbert slipped a long stick out from underneath his pant-leg and sighed with relief before hopping onto the swinging hammock, nearly killing himself in the process. 

“Watch yourself, asshole.” Roland rolled his eyes but went into the seat without much more grace than his friend. They were just idiotic boys after all. He took to laying with his feet pointing down at the water, Cuthbert between his legs and resting his back to his chest. With some lingering hesitation, Roland wrapped his arms around him. There would always be a part of him that was unsure of how to act in their relationship. He figured Cuthbert, smart and so true to himself, wouldn’t understand. But ask not, know not. 

Cuthbert nuzzled even closer and played with Roland’s hands. He almost resembled a giant cat. “You like sneaking out here with me?” He attempted to look back at his partner but found it to be a difficult task. 

“Of course.” Roland nodded and habitually squeezed him a little. 

To that, his partner just hummed and kicked off his boots (revealing a cowboy sock on one foot, the other was bare). It wasn’t entirely what Roland had expected from him but Cuthbert was a mystery sometimes. “Why do you ask?” 

Cuthbert shrugged, body rubbing up against him. He gazed up at the clouds without a doubt, something was weighing on his mind. If Alain were here, he’d have it figured out already. But their best friend didn’t often want to accompany them on things which seemed so close to ‘dates’. No matter how many times Cuthbert invited him to observe...Roland’s thoughts digressed. 

“Sorry your dad found out about us that way.” He winced at the memory from their afternoon. Roland wanted to heave up his lunch just at the idea of thinking more about that situation. “It was not a turn-on to have him walk in your room...” Cuthbert winked, Roland felt sick to his stomach but wished dearly for the boy never to change. He was entirely too amusing. 

“Thanks for reminding me.” He chuckled but reached over to rub circles on Cuthbert’s hands with his thumb. The disgust on his father’s face was too much to think about. Roland had never wanted to see his father looking so...disappointed with me. It struck something deep. 

He laughed. “His eyes nearly popped out of his head.” He flicked his hands outwards. “You’re just lucky you weren’t the one standing there with your pants basically at your ankles-”

“You really don’t know when to shut-up, do you?” Roland gagged and slapped his friend gently. Cuthbert merely smirked, playing with the miniature Rook Skull he wore on a chain. His real one was sitting atop his messy childhood dresser still filled with Garfield sweatshirts ten times too small for him now. 

“Oh I do.” Cuthbert playfully pushed Roland’s face away. “But it’s just not fun that way, Roland. You know that.” He pinched him then and turned back to look down at the water. “Open your mouth and try it sometime.” He leaned all the way back, resting his head on Roland’s chest. 

Another breeze rolled over their trembling shoulders, Cuthbert’s exposed toes wiggled either from the pleasure or chill. Maybe both. Roland watched him shove about half his right-foot onto the top side of the other so that his feet were swaddled in one oddly stretched warm cowboy sock. He actually did that pretty often. A fondness special only to his closest friends fell to the pit of Roland’s stomach. 

“Bert?” He nudged him softly. His friend turned, best he could, looking somewhat pensive. “Do you think about the future at all?” He wasn’t sure where the question was coming from but it spilled from his lips nonetheless. 

Cuthbert pulled back suddenly but shared not his laughter rather, an extension of that contemplative look. Narrowed eyes covered by his loose and long hair. “I imagine the flying car business is complete bullshit but I do like to think I die at the hands of a worthy enemy.” 

He smirked, expecting to be smacked but Roland just frowned. Some of his energy deflated a little. “I don’t think that I have, Roland. Not like you.” He shook his head. “Once my thoughts hit the sight of me at the legal drinking age...it gets all fuzzy. Kind of always thought that meant I’d die before seeing twenty-two.” He glanced back to gauge Roland’s response but found that to be too unsettling. 

“Not in any special way that I know about yet-” He shrugged.

“You speak nonsense.” Roland finally interrupted, knowing Cuthbert would just start rambling if he didn’t stop him and he didn’t want to hear any more of the speech.

Cuthbert rolled his eyes, pulling his foot free from it’s sock cage. “Always do.” He smirked but not that happy kind. It made Roland a bit angry. 

“You actually believe this?” 

Cuthbert laughed like the whole situation was ridiculous. “Yeah. I do.” 

Roland felt another wave of frustration roll over him but he didn’t really care for the idea of showing it. He was excellent at fighting and so was Cuthbert. But he didn’t wish to get into that. The day needn’t get worse. 

“I’m not trying to upset you, Roland.” He added with earnest eyes looking down at his lap. “It’s just the way I’ve always thought, huh?” He bumped their arms together with a gentle grin but his friend would have none of it. He sighed. “You could live without me, couldn’t you?” He teased but turned away to add. “I know you could, Roland-”

“Just the same as you could without me, Cuthbert.” He interrupted in a dominantly upset voice. It sent a horrible chill down his friend’s back. “We are strong-willed men, like our fathers before.” He sounded incredibly similar to a scalding parent. “But I don’t wish to live without you. I don’t dare think about such a thing like that, why do you?” 

The laughing boy rolled those big eyes of his again. “I don’t know. I think that was my point.” He shook his head. Roland felt a strong pang of guilt mix with his previous annoyance. 

Dead silence lasted for about another twenty minutes. Roland was an absolute master at refusing to give in first. He’d sit and wait for hours which was arguably a terrible trait. But sometimes---‘No just bad.’ He thought. To pass that time, he found himself staring at a tiny family of frogs resting by the water. Wet and a shiny green color, they glimmered. Their black eyes stared back up at him...

“I might be able to live without you. But I would not love again.” Roland spoke first. He actually managed to do it. He blinked down as if to thank the shiny frogs for boring him so much. They were however gone. 

Cuthbert considered that, looking bemused before turning back and planting a wet kiss to Roland’s cheek. “That’s cute.” 

“I mean it, asshole.” He wiped his sleeve against the spit on his face. At this point in his life, he could hardly be grossed out to the max by his boyfriend’s spit.

Cuthbert nodded. “I know. You always mean what you say. I like that about you, Roland. No one would believe how sweet you are with me.” He helped his friend wipe his face before planting a much softer kiss to his nose. Sweet yet so pleasurable. Roland felt his reaction deep in his gut and found himself to be glad that his father knew of their courtship. It was embarrassing and awful considering Mr. Deschain was steamed. But at least there’d be no more of their silly pretend game of being ‘just friends’. 

Roland smiled, grabbing Cuthbert’s chin to initiate some real kissing. They chuckled against each-other’s warm mouths. “You make me too soft.” He winced at the pathetic way he’d given his anger away just so he could lovingly make-out with him.

“I hope I make you hard.” 

Roland’s mouth watered. He’d be getting a round two after all...

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“Can you zip up my jeans, I literally can’t. It’s stuck.” Cuthbert approached Roland, crotch first. He really had no shame. His friend came forth and tugged the tiny metal zipper for him with an amused smile. 

As Roland worked on clothing his boyfriend, Cuthbert took the secret time to admire him. “So, what do you see...in the future, I mean?” He asked, staring down at the top of his boyfriend’s head. 

Roland hummed, finally managing to slide the gadget up and moving to get the button closed for him. “I’d like to get far from here.” He looked around with thought. “Maybe a road-trip with you?” He smiled. 

“That’s it! That’d be what kills me. Traveling with you.” Cuthbert teased and was rewarded with a hard-slap on the arm. “Sorry, sorry. What else?” 

Roland pursed his lips like he might refrain from speaking any more. “A house. Even for a couple of drifters like us.” He gestured between them with a smirk. 

"Any kiddies?” 

Roland shot his head up with puzzled eyes. “How would that-?”

"Adoption, Dumbass.” Cuthbert soaked up this rare moment of Roland being an absolute moron. 

His boyfriend looked down again, looking younger than ever before. “I don’t know about that, Bert. I’m not the nurturing type-”

“Bullshit!” Cuthbert laughed. “You always say that but it’s not true. You’ve proven me right a bunch of times.” He lifted Roland’s hands from his pants and pulled them back down the dirt, towards the water. “Who knows what’s gonna happen? Maybe we will get to have a kid and that house, you and me.” He hopped down to the edge and chuckled. 

Roland admired his wild spirit and held on strongly to his hand. “What will we name this child?”

Cuthbert widened his eyes which filled up with new life. As if he’d never even thought of such an idea. It both filled Roland with joy and sadness. His best friend truly did believe he was to die young. “Oh, what an exciting task!” He swung their grip over the water. 

“We’ve got a lot of time to think about it.” Roland added, with a bit of genuine encouragement. He ached to see Cuthbert so happy. 

“Something stupid and original.” He continued with blazing joy. He might’ve begun to list his thousands of ideas had he not glanced at his boyfriend with such enthusiasm that it made him irresistible. 

Roland had to kiss him just a few more times, wanting the moment to last forever even though it was impossible. He hoped to remember it fondly in that future of theirs...he was sure of it even if Cuthbert wasn’t. “I got you wrapped around my finger, huh?” Cuthbert wiggled his brows when they pulled apart. 

Roland blushed a little. “You like to think so.” He rolled his eyes but felt his chest tighten when his boyfriend stuck his tongue out at him. It was juvenile and very akin to puppy-love but...it was intoxicating. 

“I’m glad we found each other, y’know?” Cuthbert looked off towards the ripples in what was seemingly just still-water. 

Roland came closer and pulled Cuthbert’s arm so they could both rest on the dirt. “Something willed us together. I think.” He threw a rock into the water and smiled like a little boy. 

Cuthbert raised his brow. “Like...the Force?” He giggled, taking up his own little rock-pile. Roland rolled his eyes but found a smirk crawling over his face. He hoped the tiny frog family wasn’t anywhere near their throwing party. “I don’t know about Star Wars, Roland.” 

Instead of replying, Roland pushed him back with a hand to the face, ignoring Cuthbert’s licks to his palm. The oozing blood of the past briefly popped into his brain. The hot-red which had been pouring from Cuthbert’s own palm...It’d almost certainly paused and dried to a crunchy crust.

Roland was in an odd state of complete bliss which was a refreshing change from just a couple hours ago. He owed the mood boost to the man who was just beginning to thwack the open water with dirty rocks. His aim was perfect. He hit nothing but clear water and made excellent splashing distance. 

Roland loved him with all his being. Cuthbert was just about the best-

He burst into a round of hearty laughter at the sight of Cuthbert’s Garfield the Cat underwear sticking out of his pants...the zipper now broken and fly-open. 

It didn’t take long for his boyfriend to realize just what he was laughing at. Maybe it was the breeze...Roland laughed even harder. Cuthbert smirked and leaned back on his palms. “Jokes on you. I like the look.” He shrugged. 

They fell silent again as the daylight bled from a yellow to a dark orange. Signaling the day turning from life to still-memory. Both boys sighed, leaning closer. 

Maybe tomorrow would be just as good...


End file.
